From Miami to Tangier, via the French Riviera, Cascais and the Hamptons, the biggest names in fashion have found summer retreats far from the catwalks and spotlights where they can express their creative genius.
Legendary villas, family homes, secret workshops, and castles—each of these exceptional places embodies the spirit, audacity, and art of living of their famous owners. This summer, LUXUS MAGAZINE takes you on a weekly tour of a prestigious residence: a journey in nine episodes through the iconic vacation spots of the world’s greatest fashion designers.
For the seventh episode of our summer series dedicated to creators’ retreats, we head to Monaco and La Vigie, a sumptuous villa that was Karl Lagerfeld‘s personal palace for over a decade.
In the 1980s, the Riviera regained its prestige under the impetus of a new generation of designers and patrons. At the top of the Monegasque rock, an immaculate white silhouette stands out like a classic mirage: La Vigie, a Belle Époque building overlooking the Mediterranean. Long neglected, it was reborn thanks to a man who left nothing to chance: Karl Lagerfeld. The visionary couturier, then at the height of his creative powers, made it the setting for his lavish summers. A place to live, party, and reflect, where the baroque meets the Mediterranean.
Set back from public roads and accessible only by a small lane, the villa offers rare privacy. “It’s the safest place in the world,” he told W magazine in 1988 « It’s impossible to get close to the place. There are no public roads nearby, and you have to go through two gates to get in. The house doesn’t even have an address, so no one can write to me here ».
A forgotten palace steeped in history
Built in 1902 by Sir William Ingram, a British aristocrat and politician, the Villa La Vigie takes its name from Cap de la Veille, a name derived from a local legend about a witch who lived in a cave on La Barma beach. From the moment it was designed, this 600-square-meter neoclassical villa, spread over three floors, stood out as an architectural masterpiece. With its majestic columns, high ceilings adorned with moldings, and marble floors, it embodies the Belle Époque style, combining refinement and grandeur.
Over the decades, the villa has had an eventful history. During World War II, La Vigie was occupied by the German army, who dug a bunker in the nearby hill because of its strategic location overlooking the Mediterranean. It then fell into oblivion until it was acquired by the Société des Bains de Mer de Monaco (SBM) in 1952, which partially restored it.
La Vigie, Monaco’s jewel
Karl Lagerfeld discovered La Vigie in 1986. Located on the border between Monaco and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, perched on a rocky outcrop facing the sea, the villa is covered in ivy and buffeted by the wind.
Captivated by its majestic silhouette, which reminded him of his own childhood home on the banks of the Elbe, Lagerfeld negotiated a unique agreement with Prince Rainier III: the prince would give him the keys to the villa on condition that he restore it at his own expense. The symbolic rent (one franc per year, according to legend) contrasts with Karl Lagerfeld’s colossal investment, estimated at over €12.7 million, which would restore La Vigie to its former glory. The designer was personally involved in every detail of the renovation. « It’s not a vacation home, it’s a work of art to live in », he said at the time.
In less than two years, Karl Lagerfeld transformed the villa into a space that reflected his personality: elegant, eclectic, and functional. La Vigie regained its Belle Époque splendor, with a white façade highlighted by colonnades, a panoramic glass roof, and marble staircases.
The designer, a great lover of art history, has taken care to restore the original neoclassical splendor of the property while infusing it with his signature aesthetic. Spread over three floors, the villa has six bedrooms, four bathrooms, two dressing rooms, a large reception room, a library, a billiard room, and a 237-square-meter terrace with an outdoor jacuzzi offering breathtaking views of Roquebrune Bay. The entrance hall features spectacular trompe-l’oeil paintings, the central staircase is inspired by that of the Château de Saint-Cloud, while the décor combines neoclassical pieces – furniture by Roentgen, mirrors by Philippe Starck, 18th-century portraits by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun and rare pieces such as desks by David Roentgen – reflecting the couturier’s exquisite taste.
All the rooms are bathed in light, but in his office, Karl Lagerfeld deliberately turned his back on the sea to better concentrate on his work, an anecdote that reveals his legendary discipline.
Karl’s two private bathrooms were cleverly located, one to enjoy the first rays of sunshine on the sea, the other with a view of Monte Carlo, for the sparkle of the night lights.
Secret structural alterations were made. For example, during the initial construction, part of the hill at the entrance was made up of artificial rocks to conceal a water tank feeding a waterfall, creating a natural and majestic setting for visitors. This detail, restored or preserved under Karl Lagerfeld, adds to the myth of the property.
A theater of elegance and exuberance
For more than ten years, from 1988 to 1997, La Vigie became Karl Lagerfeld’s summer headquarters. It was here that he would escape from Paris, Hamburg, and Milan in early June, accompanied by his close-knit team, his cats—including the legendary Choupette—and his entourage of books, fabrics, notebooks, and inspirations.
Every day is planned down to the last detail: sunbathing on the terrace, photo shoots, designing collections, voracious reading. But the evenings take a different turn. La Vigie becomes the setting for extravagant dinners, masked balls, and garden parties by the pool. Among the guests are Helmut Newton, Princess Caroline of Monaco, Paloma Picasso, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, and many others.
Karl Lagerfeld photographed his friends there, such as Princess Caroline and her husband Stefano Casiraghi on their wedding anniversary, and his favorite model Linda Evangelista, immortalized in black and white in a long dress on the beach at the foot of La Vigie in 1992. Other iconic figures from the fashion world, such as André Leon Talley, were immortalized by photographer Alice Springs (wife of Helmut Newton).
Artists, photographers, writers, and aristocrats flock here every summer, invited to share in the refined fantasy of the place. A cornerstone of the social scene, Karl Lagerfeld said at the time: « I’m like a camera, I record everything I see and transform it. La Vigie is my private film ».
Anecdotal evidence suggests that he organized a ball where guests were required to dress in black and gold, a theme that extended to the napkins. On another evening, he reportedly brought a baroque orchestra from Vienna for an impromptu dinner in the rotunda.
La Vigie: a symbol of the art of living
La Vigie’s location, between sky and sea, gives the house an almost supernatural character. From its large windows, you can see Italy to the east, the yachts of Monaco Bay to the west, and the peaks of the Estérel mountains to the north. Karl Lagerfeld rarely went swimming, but loved to gaze at the sea in the early morning, when it was still as smooth as glass.
He read a lot there: Plutarch, Nietzsche, Cocteau, Goethe — in the original, of course. Far from being a simple place to relax, the house became an extension of his encyclopaedic mind. « It was like a library perched above the water», an assistant would later say.
Breakfast was served on antique porcelain on embroidered linen tablecloths, lunch under the arbor, and dinner sometimes by candlelight, even in the middle of summer. It was a theatrical lifestyle, but without vulgar ostentation. Always elegant, always controlled.
An exotic garden, reflecting the soul of La Vigie
The gardens of La Vigie, originally designed by Sir William Ingram and his son, are another treasure of the property. Classified as a refuge by the League for the Protection of Birds (LPO), they are home to a variety of birdlife, from seagulls to exotic imported species. Planting olive trees, cypresses, lemon trees, and bougainvilleas, these lush gardens offer a green oasis facing the Mediterranean Sea. Karl Lagerfeld, accompanied by his partner Jacques de Bascher, added his personal touch, transforming this space into a veritable Eden.
The end of a chapter, but not of a legend
After Karl Lagerfeld’s departure in 1997, the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) opened the doors of La Vigie to host exclusive events: exhibitions, private parties, launches of prestigious brands, and even the wedding of Princess Charlotte Casiraghi and Dimitri Rassam in 2019. In 2021, two years after Karl Lagerfeld’s death, part of the legend faded away when nearly 600 objects and works of art from the villa, including some of the designer’s personal items, were auctioned off for a record €12 million.
La Vigie continues its transformation. Once Karl Lagerfeld’s summer retreat, the villa now combines residential luxury with a festive atmosphere. Available to rent from €15,000 per night, it offers a private pool, access to Monte-Carlo Beach and bespoke services. New for 2025: the opening of the Jondal Monte-Carlo restaurant, a sunny spot inspired by Ibiza. Accessible via the pine forest or the sea, this hedonistic hideaway celebrates sharing cuisine facing the Mediterranean. Between heritage elegance and contemporary dolce vita, La Vigie now embodies a way of life, at the crossroads of the couturier’s memories and summer pleasures.
Karl Lagerfeld’s mark on La Vigie is undeniable. In this summer retreat, he infused his inimitable style and personal vision, transforming the place into a true haven of peace, both secret and mythical, in the heart of the French Riviera. His attention to detail and commitment to restoration have made this villa a timeless refuge, where elegance blends with Mediterranean tranquility.
With its light curtains, book-filled libraries, and refined dinners by the sea, La Vigie remains a striking example of Lagerfeld’s unique refinement. At the crossroads of classicism and boldness, every corner of the villa bears the mark of a tireless creator, always in pursuit of perfection.
Next episode: Valentino and The Villa Vagnola
Read also > Lien vers l’Épisode 6/9 Paul Poiret
Photo à la Une : montage of Karl Lagerfeld portrait and La Vigie © SBM
